The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
It’s not often that the St. Anthony and Wilson baseball teams get an opportunity to play each other.
The pair have only faced off three times in the last 20 years and the first time they faced off was by chance when they went head to head in the playoffs in 2022.
On Saturday there were plenty of local ties as the two clashed at Clark Field with a number of the players in each dugout that played together growing up and Wilson coach Andy Hall spent the first decade of his coaching career managing at St. Anthony.
When the dust settled, the Bruins held off the Saints for a 3-2 non-league win in a game where all five runs were scored in the third inning.
“All of the kids know each other,” Hall said of the team’s familiarity with each other. “They all play PONY and stuff. That inherently, even when you’re playing Lakewood or Poly or Millikan, there’s a certain level of anxiety ‘I’ve got to show those guys because that’s my friend. We played on the same PONY team.’ That’s just a certain difference in the spirit of the game than if you’re playing somebody from south Orange Country and you don’t have any history.”
Marc James got the start for St. Anthony and Aiden Gregg-Rodriguez got the nod for the Bruins.
After a scoreless first inning where the only baserunner was St. Anthony’s Jaylen Butler after he drew his first of two walks on the day – Wilson threatened in the top of the second after the Bruins got three runners after two hit-by-pitches and a walk.
However, James got out of the game and kept the Bruins off the board. Gregg-Rodriguez continued his strong start as he retired St. Anthony in order with two strikeouts.
In the third, Nicholas Thiem led off with a double and scored when James Mirabile connected for an RBI double to give Wilson a 1-0 lead.
Wilson’s Eddie Becker followed that two batters later when he hit his own RBI double to score Mirabile to double the Bruins lead. Cooper George made it a 3-0 lead when he hit a RBI single that allowed Becker to score.
Looking to respond Owen Frazier earned a base after he was hit by a pitch and Ryder Mockridge put two on with no outs when he drew a walk.
Austin Cassidy loaded the bases when he hit a single. With the bases loaded and one out, Butler’s second walk of the afternoon pushed a run across to cut Wilson’s lead to 3-1.
Looking to limit the Saints, Wilson went to the bullpen and brought in Cole Mountain to relieve Gregg-Rodriguez. Anthony Valdez hit a sacrifice fly that scored Mockridge that cut the lead to 3-2. Mountain limited the Saints as Wilson held onto a 3-2 lead after the third.
St. Anthony made their first pitching change in the fourth as they brought in Aidann Ruiz and he retired the side. Mountain responded, striking out the Saints in order as the score remained the same after four.
“It was really nice to see Cole come out of the bullpen today,” Hall said. “He threw last Thursday and had a rough start on the mound. For him to come in and get six outs, it’s good for him. It was good for his confidence and for my confidence in him.”
The Saints’ best opportunity came in the sixth inning when Valdez led off with a double. He then advanced to third when Ruiz his a sacrifice for the first out. Then Cesar Castro hit Marc James to put two on with only one out.
Castro got out of the jam as he struck out the next two batters and in the seventh Cooper George finished off the game to pick up the save after allowing one single.
“Cooper did pitch this week,” Hall said of George coming in for relief after Castro. “He wanted the ball – that’s a perfect opportunity for us to get those guys the one-two punch to get the last three to six outs.”
Wilson’s George had a nice day at the plate going 2-2 with one RBI and a walk to go with his save. St. Anthony’s Austin Cassidy had went a team best 3-3 from the plater with a walk.
“I like our pitching,” St. Anthony coach Kris Jondle said. “We’ve got to figure out the offensive part, whatever that takes in practice. We’ve got to figure it out as coaches and get it going.”
St. Anthony will be back in action next week when they have a home and away series to open Camino Real League play against Bishop Montgomery on Wednesday and Friday. Wilson will be back at home when they host Arlington on Wednesday.
